The present invention relates to an actuating device with at least one actuating arm, designed in particular to operate a flap of a piece of furniture, having a base member on which the actuating arm is pivotally located and a spring device to act upon the actuating arm.
Actuating devices of this type are generally attached onto a lateral wall of a piece of furniture and serve to move the flap connected to the actuating arm from the open to the closed position or vice-versa. According to the size and weight of the furniture flap, the actuating devices are provided with a spring device which moves the actuating arm with extremely high prestress forces so that even heavy flaps on items of furniture can be moved. Critical torques arise during the transporting, fitting or changing of the flap since the charging spring device accelerates the relatively light actuating arm like a bullet from a gun. For this reason there are instructions on the casing of such actuating devices which refer to the danger of the kicking actuating arm. The actuating arm directed by the spring device can cause serious injury at the critical torques referred to above when no flap is connected to the actuating arm.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the actuating device of the type referred to in the introduction by reducing the danger alluded to above or by facilitating the manipulation of the actuating device when being assembled or fitted with a flap.